STATE WATCH: KANSAS by Sue Beaulieu Last year, H.B. 2744 was introduced in the Kansas state legislature to repeal the law making Quaker parakeet ownership illegal. The bill died in committee but has been reintroduced as H.B. 2002 this session. State AFA Coordinator Mike Langerot sent this letter to numerous bird clubs and other Kansas and other South Central Region Aviculturists before the new session: "I would like to inform you that a rare opportunity is going to present itself to us. A bill will be introduced into the 2001 Kansas Legislature that would make the possession of Quaker/Monk parakeets legal again in Kansas. "The opportunity is rare in the fact that this is going to be a chance to repeal a law instead of being subjected to one. We who are involved with the keeping of birds and animals are usually burdened with complying with rules and regulations brought about by people who are far removed from the reality of animal husbandry. This will be our chance to correct a wrong, remove an obsolete law from the books, and remove, in a small way, bureaucracy from our hobby. "There are many people who are certainly interested in seeing the ban on Quakers removed. It will take those people and every person involved with aviculture to remove the ban. Whether you have a pet parrot, raise canaries, or breed ornamental pheasants, I hope you will actively support this cause. The question you must always have is: "If they can ban a parakeet, what bird or animal is next?" Your active participation in the issue is a must. "I have contacted the AFA, The Quaker Society and others asking for their support. I am asking all the bird clubs of Kansas to join the fight, to rally their members to support passage of this legislation. As information comes available, our friends in the states that border Kansas can be of help in e-mailing legislators, etc. We must begin now to be ready for January 2001. I hope clubs will publish information in their newsletters concerning this issue. Also, I hope they will do their own research in helping their members to have an informed opinion on this matter. The Internet is full of sites concerning the Quaker parakeet. "Please begin now informing yourself and others of this issue. We must be prepared with informed opinions and answers, not heated emotions and unkind words. Our greatest opponent will be apathy. When the time comes, we must show the committee legislators that there is interest and concern for the passage of this legislation. One person cannot do this by himself or herself. Please involve yourself, your club, and others. Anyone interested in speaking as a conferee or needing more information, please call me at 316-429-1872."

H.B. 2002 was introduced into the Kansas legislature by Representative Doug Gatewood, and was then referred to the House Environment Committee. They have since requested that the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission review the matter. The Quaker parakeet is prohibited by regulation rather than statute. Their solution will be to hold public hearings and then receive public comments for sixty days. The Kansas WPD will consult with members of the Kansas Department of Agriculture as well. The following position paper has been submitted to my legislators, the Environment Committee members and various administrators within the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Department and Kansas Department of Agriculture. Thank you to everyone who has written, emailed and faxed Kansas legislators in support of deregulating Quaker parakeets. Together, we can educate legislators and administrators about these kinds of bird-related issues. For more information, you may also email me at beau@southwind.net . Members of the Quaker Parrot Society have been very active and supportive in this campaign. Their coordinator, Brenda Piper, Vice President of the QPS can be reached at piper@progress.com.

FERAL QUAKERS: Separating Fact from Fiction Introduction The feral Quaker (Myiopsitta monachus) colonies in the United States were established by imported wild-caught birds that escaped from damaged shipping crates. Numerous birds escaped at the same time and they were able to survive in a new environment because of flock survival behavior. These colonies have remained stable over the years since Quaker parakeets are a sedentary specie that remain close to their communal nests year round. They live near urban areas where they are often seen at bird feeders. They have not spread nationwide or become the agricultural pest that was once predicted. Wild Quaker parakeets are no longer imported into the United States. There are no wild colonies of Quaker parakeets in Kansas. Tame and captive bred Quakers would not be able to survive in the wild for any length of time nor would the Kansas environment be friendly to them. In the 1970's, an alarmist campaign was set into motion regarding Quaker parakeets (also called Monk parakeets), genus Myiopsitta. Arguments, primarily based on speculation, gained popularity via government press releases and media promotion. The misinformation stressed that feral Quaker parakeets were an invasive pest species that would multiply and spread nationwide, destroying fields of crops and orchards of fruit wherever they went. In response, Kansas passed a law making them illegal to own. This is not surprising since the state's open plains consist primarily of farmlands on which cash crops such as wheat, corn, sorghum and soybeans are staples. Farmers were concerned with the threat of yet another avian pest descending upon their ripening fields and jeopardizing their hard work and livelihoods. Gigantic flocks of crows, blackbirds and starlings were already too common a sight for them. For the same reasons, similar laws were written and passed in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Hawaii, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wyoming which made it illegal to own or sell these birds. Unfortunately, the people who wrote these laws had little knowledge of these parrots and relied on literature and arguments that were not based on accurate science. A few years ago when the Oregon department of Fish and Wildlife pondered whether or not to place parrots on a controlled list of approved species and perhaps ban Quaker parakeets from the state, dedicated Oregon aviculturists Pat Heere and Julie Atkinson worked to create the Oregon Avian Alliance. Pat, Julie and many other aviculturists presented their testimonies. Hundreds of other breeders and bird owners attended the hearings as well and together, they convinced the state there was no need for legislation regarding parrot ownership. The Genus Myiopsitta The genus Myiopsitta contains four established subspecies. These are Myiopsitta m. monachus, Myiopsitta m. calita, Myiopsitta m. cotorra and Myiopsitta m. luchsi or the Monk parakeet, Mendoza Grey-breasted parakeet, Paraguayan Grey-breasted parakeet and Bolivian Grey-breasted parakeet, respectively. The subspecies differ slightly in physical characteristics which have evolved due to their different ranges and habitats. This stocky little parrot is generally 11 to 12 inches in length with a long, pointed tail. They have medium green plumage on the back and brighter green feathers on the wings and tail. Lores, cheeks and throat are gray merging into pale gray. White-tipped breast feathers merge into a grayish olive green on the lower abdomen. Flight feathers are bright blue, edged in black. The bill is a rosy flesh color. The nicknames "Monk" or "Quaker" may reflect the fact that, with a little imagination, the gray feathers resemble a monk's hood or the style of dress once commonly worn by Quaker ladies. Monk is also a shortened version of monachus. Myiopsitta chicks have a habit of begging and "quaking" in anticipation of food. They have been known to "quake" themselves right off the edge of a table! It is this explanation which is most often given for their "Quaker" nickname. The genus Myiopsitta is native to South America where it inhabits areas from southeastern Brazil, regions of Uruguay and Paraguay, then down through central Bolivia and south to central Argentina. In the wild, these birds usually reside in lowlands with low rainfall, in open forest trees which border watercourses, savanna woodlands, palm groves and orchards. They forage for food away from their nesting site, feeding on seeds, fruits, berries, nuts, leaf buds, blossoms, insects and their larvae. Favorite foods include seeds of thistles, grasses and various trees, especially palm nuts. Pest Status Challenged Enrique H. Bucher*, a distinguished Argentine ornithologist, has challenged the notion that Myiopsitta are agricultural pests in their native range countries. His research indicates that neotropical parrots do not fit the typical profile of a successful pest species because they lack the combination of high mobility, mega-flock feeding and roosting, opportunistic breeding and high productivity that characterize successful pest birds such as the starlings and crows. *Enrique Bucher has worked for decades on research, development and implementation of a multiple-species management system for the Gran Chaco semi-arid savannah area of South America. Pest management and parrot conservation are but two of his special fields of research. He has authored numerous articles, received many honors and is a long standing member of the American Ornithologists' Union. Bucher is the leading researcher of Quaker parakeets in their native habitat. These neotropical birds are very different from house sparrows or starlings, which were also introduced exotic species, but proved to possess a more destructive and invasive nature. The faulty assumption that Quaker parakeets would become the United States' next starling was the primary argument used to persuade various state legislatures to ban Quaker parakeets from their states. As we shall see, this argument was not based on fact.

Feral Quakers in the U.S. Feral populations which do exist in the United States are generally located near old bird quarantine stations where entire shipments of birds escaped at once, probably from damaged shipping crates. Some of the birds which were kept by zoos were released because they became common as pets in the 1960's, 70's and 80's and were no longer valued as exhibit specie. Some escaped near airports in large cities. These birds had one very important thing in common -- they were wild caught birds which were imported into our country. Some of them were able to adapt to their new environment. Over 35,000 Quaker parakeets were imported into the United States during the late 1960's and early 1970's. By 1973, it was reported there were 5,000 free-flying Quakers in our country. For every escaped, wild caught bird that managed to survive; there must have been at the very minimum, one or two that did not. The old bird import quarantine stations were located in Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Miami, FL; Chicago, IL; New Orleans, LA; New York, NY: Seattle, WA; Dallas/Fort Worth, TX; Portland, OR; Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA and Atlanta, GA. It is no coincidence that the cities where feral Quaker parakeets have managed to establish colony nest sites are Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, Chicago, New Orleans, Portland, Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, St. Petersburg, and Tampa. Kansas has no established colonies of feral Quaker parakeets nor have there been any recorded sightings of this bird. Quaker Parakeets are Sedentary The fact is that since the introduction of feral Quaker parakeets into the United States ecosystem over thirty years ago, they have not spread across the continent as originally feared. The Oregon Avian Alliance used that fact in their arguments to halt legislation in their state that would ban ownership of these birds. The colony of feral Quaker parakeets in the Portland Oregon has been stable for over twenty years. The maximum life span of Quakers is from 25 to 30 years although not all birds will live this long. Feral Quaker populations in the U.S. have remained stable throughout the last thirty years. They have not expanded their range from their original nesting areas. Quaker parakeets are the only species of parrot which build communal nests created entirely from twigs, branches, straw, leaves, and other suitable material. The U.S. feral parakeets build their nest structures in the topmost branches of trees and on top of utility poles. Each pair adds its own "apartment" which consists of three chambers. One chamber is for laying and incubating eggs; another is a living space for young birds that have already fledged and the other serves as a lookout area where the entire chamber can be defended if need be. These nest structures require year round maintenance and provide the small parrots with safety. Communal nest building has allowed the feral Quakers to survive in areas where winters are harsher than their native habitat in South America. Juvenile birds and non-breeding Quaker parakeets help feed the colony's chicks. The communal Quakers stick together even when foraging for food. One or two members of the flock act as sentinels that warn the others of possible dangers. Wild, fledgling Quakers rarely distance themselves more than 500 yards from their parents' nest site. Displaced Quakers whose original nest site has been destroyed, rarely if ever, settle more than several hundred yards away from the site. Birds and Bees Most parrots in the wild, as a rule, do not lay and raise multiple clutches of chicks like songbirds, sparrows, starlings or blackbirds. Quaker parakeets can lay as many as eight eggs in a clutch although it is not likely that every egg will hatch or every chick survive in the wild. Birds that lay large clutches of eggs have evolved such behavior in response to high mortality rates. Three or four eggs are the average for Quakers and all the young have a better chance of survival in this size clutch. Numerous factors determine when a pair will go to nest. Climate and availability of food resources are extremely important. Most Quakers reach breeding age at around two years of age.

Eggs are laid a minimum of a day apart which means there may be over a week's difference in the age of the first hatched chick from the last hatched chick. This is Mother Nature's way of insuring that some of the offspring will survive. If the older chicks become sick and die, the younger ones are there to take their place. Sometimes, older and healthy chicks will crowd the younger hatchlings, causing them to weaken and starve. Many factors are involved in healthy reproduction. The parent birds must be in optimum health in order to keep up their busy feeding schedule when the chicks hatch. Nutritional requirements must be met in both male and female to ensure breeding success and fertile egg laying. Hens that are calcium deficient my lay eggs with thin eggshells that will not survive, or they may become egg bound -- a condition that can be fatal. Theoretically, a developing egg should lose between 15 to 17 percent of its weight during the incubation period. Certain eggs require more frequent egg rotation and certain species require more or less humidity. The humidity setting varies from species to species and is primarily based on the geographical region of the species origin. Developing eggs are susceptible to extreme changes in temperature or weather. Turning prevents the embryo from fusing with the eggshell membranes. Should the embryo stick to the shell, development can be fatally distorted or the chick may be malpositioned for proper hatching. Only the healthiest of chicks will be able to complete the pipping process and hatch. Some never manage to escape the egg. Those that do hatch will have many obstacles to survive on their way to adulthood. The eggs are incubated by the hen parakeet for nearly a month and chicks fledge between 6 and 8 weeks of age. The juveniles will remain close to their parents and learn how to forage for food, watch for dangers and generally, how to survive in their environment. If the weather permits, and resources and conditions are favorable, another clutch may be possible. Again, a second clutch's success (i.e. chicks that fledge and live to adulthood) depends on weather, food, health and other threats to day-to-day survival. Wild v. Tame Parrots are social creatures and they require the safety and protection of a flock. The feral birds that did survive were not single birds. They were birds that were released or escaped together in numbers large enough to make a working flock. Single wild caught Quakers might have been able to exist if they were fortunate enough to find such a flock and gain acceptance. There is literature that claims feral populations exist in our country because some people released imported pet Quakers into the wild after they tired of them. Since wild caught Quakers are no longer imported into the United States, new feral colonies are not a threat. Quaker parakeets obtained a reputation for being loud and noisy birds. This disputed "fact" has been used many times as the reason that some Quaker owners released their birds into the wild, during the time of bird importation. They are no less noisy than any other parrot kept in captivity. If this argument was valid, we should have dozens and dozens of species of feral parrot flocks throughout the U.S.! Parrots tend to vocalize most at sunrise and sunset -- a character trait that is inherited and natural. In the unlikely event that one or two captive reared Quaker parakeets escaped from nearby states, it is doubtful they could fend for themselves in the wild for any length of time. This is especially true in Kansas where native avian predators such as hawks and eagles would be quick to make a meal of a small, lone parakeet. Crows also have a notorious reputation for killing escaped pet birds and so do other flocks of wild birds, for that matter. There are several bird control businesses throughout the country which use trained hawks and falcons to kill nuisance birds that are found in urban areas or near airports. Should escaped Quakers survive their avian competitors and predators, numerous other threats to their survival still exist. Sheltered pets and aviary birds stand little chance against dogs and cats. Native predators such as opossums, bobcats, foxes, coyotes, raccoons and snakes could also prove lethal. Nor would captive birds have immunity to the diseases of these wild animals and birds. Birds in the wild have to deal with a number of external and internal parasites as well. A bird raised in captivity, would not know which plants to eat and not to eat. The odds of an escaped, captive bred Quaker parakeet surviving for any length of time outside of a home or aviary is miniscule. Were a tame male and female Quaker parakeet to find each other after escaping, they may or may not find each other attractive. Pet birds often bond to their owners. The chances of successful mating, brooding and hatching chicks by one inexperienced, captive bred pair trying to survive in the wild is beyond imagination. In the established Chicago feral colony, nests have been destroyed by gale-force winds and shattered fertile eggs have been found beneath the debris. The Kansas winds would not be hospitable to Quaker parakeet nests, were there any.

Urban Dwellers Feral Quaker parakeets colonize near urban areas where they are often seen at birdfeeders or eating the fruits and buds from ornamental plants and trees. They also feed on dandelions and the seed heads of grass and weeds. Myiopsitta are a sedentary species. They build their colony nest and remain there all year long. Many people are willing to feed the feral Quakers and other birds that come to their backyards. However, not all of them realize that the bird feeders must be periodically disinfected to keep disease from spreading within avian populations. Crowded and dirty feeders are a breeding ground for salmonella and other diseases. Sick birds are vulnerable to starvation, dehydration, predation and severe weather. They also spread the disease to other birds. A major disease outbreak in a feral colony would make it nearly impossible for the Quaker population to make a come back without help and intervention from man. Agricultural Pest Status Exaggerated Studies have shown that several factors contribute to reported crop damage from parrots in their native habitat. Poor agricultural practices can be to blame especially when ripened crops are not immediately harvested.  At times, farmers delay harvest in anticipation of getting a better price at market. When they do this, their orchards and fields are more susceptible to hungry parrots that have recently fledged, since nesting season occurs a month or so before harvest time. Bird trappers will often exaggerate the pest status of parrots to justify their capture for the pet trade. Though the U.S. no longer imports wild-caught parrots, many other countries still do. Farmers often trap and sell birds to supplement their income and often make more from the sale of birds than from crops. Those with small subsistence gardens will kill a raiding parrot and serve it up as a main course. Florida, an agricultural state noted for its citrus crops, has the largest number of feral Quaker parakeets. The state has never controlled or regulated these wild parakeets. Their crops have never been affected whatsoever by the presence of these feral birds in their state. Regulations are in Place for Exotic Invasive Species Local The best-known feral Quakers are probably those in Chicago. They Hyde Park Parakeets, as they are called, were first spotted in the early 1970's. The late mayor, Harold Washington, enjoyed watching the Quakers that nested outside his Hyde Park apartment. In fact, they are popular with most of the citizens that live near the parakeet colonies. However, one utility company has fought to remove the birds. Quakers often like to build their massive nests on top of utility poles and one Hyde Park nest did cause a small fire, though not much damage. ComEd decided to move that nest and all the nests on Hyde Park utility poles during the fall of 1997, but the citizens were alarmed and worried that the birds would not be able to survive a harsh winter without shelter. City council meetings were held and alternatives were discussed. Many electric companies build a platform for nest building activities safely above a transformer. This was done by an Arizona utility company to accommodate a pair of ospreys. However, ComEd wanted to destroy the homeless Quakers and was not receptive to this idea at all. Another suggestion was that a fake pole be built in nearby Nichols Park. Mark Spreyer, founder of the Chicago Peregrine Release and Restoration project, suggested that large laundry baskets, filled with twigs and suspended in trees would serve as a foundation for new nests. The community had ordinances and procedures in place to deal with this issue. Federal There are provisions for controlling or eradicating avian pests in the federal statutes. Most of these address the problems with crows, blackbirds, cowbirds, starlings and pigeons. Often depredation permits must be issued in compliance with these laws since most pest birds are also regulated under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), Endangered Species Act (ESA) or the Lacey Act. However, Myiopsitta is not listed under any of these laws. On February 3, 1999, President Clinton signed E.O. 13112 into law. The order deals specifically with exotic invasive species and an Invasive Species Council was established to recommend plans and actions to control or eradicate problem pest species. English or house sparrows, European starlings and the domestic pigeon were cited as our country's primary avian pests. Quaker or Monk parakeets were not mentioned. However, the mechanism is in place to adequately deal with them should any problem arise. Kansas There is no need to ban Quaker parakeets from aviculture in Kansas when laws are in place that would adequately take care of any problems that might arise regarding feral counterparts.  Kansas Statutes, Title 2. Agriculture; Article 24. Pest Control, includes birds in the legal definition of "animal." Further, the definition of "pest" may include, but is not limited to "any insect, rodent, nematode, fungus, weed, any other form of terrestrial or aquatic plant or animal life or virus, bacteria or other microorganism ... or which the secretary may declare to be a pest." Quaker parakeets are often considered the best talker of the smaller parrot species and they make delightful pets. They love to whistle, chatter and play. They are energetic and entertaining little birds. However, as Kansas law now stands, anyone in possession of such a bird would be violating the law and their charming pet could be taken by the authorities and euthanized. Conclusion Avian survival in the wild encompasses many factors. Sources of proper nutrition have a large bearing on the health of any bird, wild or tame. Without a proper diet, birds are more susceptible to disease and parasites. Without the right nutrition, they cannot reproduce or raise healthy chicks. The feral populations of Quaker parakeets in the U.S. have remained stable for twenty to thirty years because not every bird that is hatched will reproduce. It is doubtful that many live out a maximum life span. Should the situation arise, a colony is unlikely to recover from a major disease outbreak or weather catastrophe. Wild birds have adapted to their native habitats by evolving various behavior patterns. Quaker parakeets, being rather small and vulnerable, have learned how to build colony nests and stay together as a flock when foraging for food. The feral Quaker colonies in the United States have remained sedentary and stable over a long period of time. They live near urban areas where people are happy to put food and water out for them. They have not become the bane to agriculture that was once feared. There are no wild colonies of Quaker parakeets in Kansas, and it is unlikely there will there ever be.